mark mcgrath

Expect the unexpected. CBS’s highly publicized reality competition show, Celebrity Big Brother, came to a surprising end on Sunday when Marissa Jaret Winokur was crowned the winner of the $250,000 grand prize by a jury of former houseguests. Marissa won the final Head of Household (HOH) competition and brought her ride-or-die, Ross Mathews, to the Final Two with her. This loyal move left many thinking she just handed Ross the grand prize but as host Julie Chen always says, “Expect the Unexpected!”

Ross not only brought home the $50,000 runner-up prize, but he was also awarded the America’s Favorite Houseguest $25,000 prize, for a total of $75,000 in winnings. Since Ross and Marissa were my dream final-two, this was great news (especially because my favorite houseguests rarely make it to the final). However, this is pretty bad news for CBS’s Big Brother franchise and potentially future seasons of Celebrity Big Brother.

I have been watching Big Brother religiously since 2003, when Season 4 aired. The summer television staple became a bonding experience for my dad and I, and we’d share thoughts on the houseguests and their gameplay. Even during and…